Statkraft and its partner Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) have been selected in Ireland’s first auction for offshore wind under the Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (ORESS-1) to develop the 500 MW North Irish Sea Array (NISA) offshore wind project.
NISA was one of seven offshore renewable projects issued with a Maritime Area Consent (MAC) last December.
“We are very pleased with the successful outcome which is an important milestone for us and our partnership with Statkraft. The 20-year contract provides a strong basis on which to continue the development of the NISA project which will contribute towards Ireland’s 2030 renewables target and unlock the potential of offshore wind in the market”, said Nischal Agarwal , Partner at CIP.
The North Irish Sea Array project site covers around 226.9 square kilometres in the Irish Sea between seven and 17 kilometres off the coast of the Dublin, Meath, and Louth counties.
The project will have the capacity to power approximately half a million Irish homes and businesses.
A planning application for NISA is scheduled to be submitted this year, with commencement of operations anticipated for 2026, Statkraft says.
The Bore Array offshore wind farm, planned to be built in the Celtic Sea, is a Phase 2 project.
In January, Statkraft announced a partnership with CIP to develop up to 2.2 GW of offshore wind off the Irish coast.
The joint venture saw CIP acquire a 50 per cent stake in Statkraft’s offshore wind portfolio in Ireland.
“Being successful in Ireland’s first offshore auction is a truly momentous event – not just for Statkraft, but for the entire country. Ireland’s energy security and our collective future climate depend on the ability to harness the clean, renewable energy like the vital resource which currently remains untapped off the Irish coast”, said David Flood , Senior VP for Offshore Wind with Statkraft.
“Today’s positive result means that we, alongside our partners, CIP, can continue to work apace to get our offshore project, NISA, off the ground and put Ireland firmly on track to a decarbonised future.”
In July 2022, Ireland raised its offshore wind target for 2030 from 5 GW to 7 GW after reaching an agreement on Sectoral Emissions Ceilings.